Burning Phoenix

Chapter 8: Meeting

Walking into the meeting room, Gabrielle pushed her chair next to his at the head of the long table. He watched her take her seat next to him, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew he was in for a challenge trying to keep focus with her so close, but he was intrigued to see how long he could last.

He addressed the meeting room, trying to keep his voice steady and professional despite her distracting presence. "Gentlemen, we have much to discuss." The emissaries look at the both of them questionably. "Your Majesty, this is...?" Felix paused for a moment, then laced his fingers together in front of him on the table, displaying a calm and authoritative demeanor. "This is...my personal advisor," he said firmly, knowing this wasn't quite accurate but not wanting to reveal the full truth in front of the emissaries just yet. "She will be present during the course of this meeting."

Gabrielle reached under the table and lightly pinched his thigh, making his eyes widen slightly in surprise. When he looked at her, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Personal advisor?" she mouthed silently to him. Trying to maintain his composure, he shook his head slightly, barely controlling his urge to smile. Giving her a subtle warning glare to behave herself, he leaned closer to her, whispering in a low voice that only she could hear, "Listen, you little minx, I couldn't exactly introduce you as my betrothed or my bride in the middle of this meeting. 'Personal advisor' was the first thing that came to mind."

She whispered back to him, "It's not like I have a ring anyways." She then turned to face the emissaries with a subtle pout on her lips. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her, he couldn't stop his lips from twitching with a hint of a smile. He knew she was purposefully being difficult just as much as he knew that he was powerless to resist her charms. He looked back at the emissaries, who are now watching the two of them in open curiosity. Felix cleared his throat, "Regardless, she is here at my invitation, and her presence is not up for discussion." The emissaries nod. "We're here to form a marriage alliance between our two kingdoms."

Felix sat back in his seat, his expression now serious and focused. The mention of a marriage alliance immediately piques his attention. He nodded his understanding, saying, "I'm aware of the purpose of this meeting," his voice steady and authoritative, "proceed with your proposal." The first emissary cleared his throat nervously. "We're aware that you were once betrothed to our now deceased Moon Princess. We now offer you the current Moon Princess to become your queen."

He stiffened at the mention of his previous betrothal, a pang of bittersweet nostalgia washed over him. He took a moment to compose himself before replying in a measured and cautious tone. Slowly, he said, "I am aware of the Moon Kingdom's offer, but my relationship with the Moon Princess is a matter of the past. I am not interested in reviving that arrangement." From her seat beside him, Gabrielle asks the emissaries, "What if I told you the former Moon Princess is here?" Felix glanced at her, surprised she would reveal her identity so casually. The emissaries, on the other hand, looked shocked, disbelief written on their faces. "Wh-what are you saying?" one of the emissaries stammered, "The former Moon Princess is...dead. This cannot be possible." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Where there's a will, there's a way." She looked at them with steel in her eyes. "And not only am I here, but I'm also stronger than before. The position of Felix's wife cannot be anyone else's but mine."

The emissaries exchanged uneasy glances, clearly shaken by her revelation and fierce determination. They had come expecting to negotiate the marriage of their princess to the Phoenix King, but now they were faced with a completely different situation. The first emissary cleared his throat again, his voice shaky as he spoke, "B-but...how? We entombed your body." A slight smile shifted the corner of her lips upwards. "I am acquainted with Death. He and I have an...arrangement. It's none of your concern." The emissaries looked alarmed at her response, their eyes widened in shock and fear. The fell silent for a moment as they processed this new information. "A-an arrangement with Death?" one of them stammers. His voice was low as he asked, "What does that mean?"

Gabrielle looked to Felix for guidance, a plea in her eyes. He reached out to gently take her hand, squeezing it gently to reassure her. He looked at the emissaries, his expression firm and protectively possessive. "It means," he said in a commanding tone, "that the Moon Princess is indeed alive and here. And as she has stated, the position of my wife can only be hers. Is that clear?"

The second emissary stammered, "...but what of our present agreement?"

Felix scoffed, his expression hardening at the mention of the previous agreement. He leaned forward in his seat, his gaze fixed on the emissaries with an icy intensity. "The previous agreement is irrelevant now. I reject it. The Moon Princess sitting beside me is my destined mate and my only choice. I will not entertain other offers."

Gabrielle never took her eyes off of him, her expression then turned into one of gratitude. She whispered softly to him, "Can we go now?" Felix gazed into her eyes, before nodding slightly to her. His expression softened as he spoke to her in a low whisper, "We can leave. This meeting is over." He turned his gaze back to the emissaries to address them in a final, firm tone, "We're done here. Your proposal has been rejected."

He stood up, reaching out his hand to help Gabrielle stand as well. She walked beside him out of the room. A short distance later, she tugged on his sleeve to stop, a question in her eyes. He glanced at her as he felt her tug, stopping in his tracks. Seeing the question in her eyes, he turned to face her with a calm and curious expression. "What is it, my Moon Flower?" Hesitantly she asked him, "Do you...not have questions for me?" He was silent a moment as he studied her face. There were definitely questions in mind, swirling around like a storm. But he also knew that this was not the time or the place for them. He gently cupped her face with one hand as he admitted, "I have many questions, but they can wait. For now, I just want to get you away from here."

She smiled at him with relief, "Let's go." He returned her smile with a smile of his own that was tinged with worry and concern. Taking her hand in his, he led her through the corridors of building, keeping her close to his side. He knew they had much to discuss, but he was determined to get her somewhere safe and private first.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

Glancing at her, his expression softened a bit. "I'm taking you to my place," he replied. "It's the one place where we can talk privately without any interruptions." She smiled playfully at him as she asked, "Interrupting what?" Smirking at her playful tone, he glanced back at her with a hint of desire in his eyes. "Don't test me, love."